


waves in the water

by the_bisexual_disaster



Series: kat's classy fics (tm) [3]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, I wrote this instead of studying, Proposals, domestic gendrya, drift compatible, i miss they, no beta we die like men, pure beans in love, some bits from real life again, the slightest touch of angst, this author likes water imagery but doesnt know how to use it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:41:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23250370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_bisexual_disaster/pseuds/the_bisexual_disaster
Summary: Gendry wants to propose to Arya the right way. He doesn't know when it'll happen, but he knows the right moment when he sees it.
Relationships: Arya Stark/Gendry Waters
Series: kat's classy fics (tm) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1815244
Comments: 28
Kudos: 90





	waves in the water

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yanak324](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yanak324/gifts).



If you asked Gendry when he decided to propose to Arya Stark, he could pinpoint it to one exact moment in time.

The day Gendry decided he wanted to marry Arya was an ordinary day. There was nothing special about it. It was just a normal Thursday evening and he was watching with fascination as Arya moved around the kitchen while making dinner. She danced as she stirred and practically leapt across the kitchen as she hummed under her breath and Gendry was hit with a sudden rush of pure love and devotion.

Arya loved music; it was one of the things that gave her so much joy and he loved to see her so happy. It wasn’t always like this. He remembered a time when she could barely look him in the eye without snarling at him with an anger that she hadn’t yet learned to control. It stemmed from years of self-confidence and self-esteem issues brought on by her sister’s friends’ treatment of her when they were younger. Since then, Arya and Sansa had been close friends, but it was a long road and took a lot of talking and understanding from both sides.

Gendry was known for his own anger issues. He used to be prone to lashing out in annoyance and being sullen and isolated. He didn’t like people. He didn’t trust people. He didn’t allow himself to get close to anyone in fear they would leave him. 

Their relationship was strong. It was built on a foundation of trust and loyalty, tested and proven time and time again. They brought out the best in each other. He showed her that being herself was a good thing and that she shouldn’t let anyone tell her otherwise and she showed him that not all people are bad. She’d brought him into her family and in doing so, gave him a family of his own, for which he would forever be grateful.

He thought of them as he watched her glide across the kitchen. Her quiet humming had escalated into her fully singing the words in her clear, low voice. There was a time when she never would have been this carefree in front of him, but those times were long in the past. She trusted him as he trusted her, and she loved him as he loved her.

It was that moment that he decided he was going to marry Arya Stark. 

The ring was simple, but it cost him a fortune. He had it custom made for her after spending hours going from jewellery store to jewellery store and finding nothing he wanted to get for her. It was one of the most irritating experiences in his life and once he got to the safety of his car, he screamed in frustration. After that, he managed to calm down enough to take a moment to think.

His old metalwork teacher, Mr. Mott, was like a father to him. When Gendry was in high school, Mr. Mott took him under his wing and taught him everything he knew. Gendry knew it wasn’t enough to make a career out of, but Mr. Mott’s teachings helped him in his job as a lutheran. He had to admit, there wasn’t much money there either, but it was better than nothing, and occasionally he had a labour intensive job that proved costly for his customer that paid him well. With that and the money he had been saving ever since his first job for things like this, he figured he was fine.

Mr. Mott- Tobho, as he insisted Gendry call him- retired a few years ago, but he still did metalwork as a hobby and a way to make a bit of money on the side. He grinned winningly at Gendry as he went to embrace the younger man.

“Gendry, my boy!” Tobho exclaimed as he patted Gendry on the back. “How are you?”

“I’m well, how are you?”

“Oh, I’m excellent. Not having to deal with bratty teenagers who think they’re “the shit” is great for my temper, it turns out. What brings you here?”

Gendry smiled. “I want to propose to my girlfriend but I can’t find the right ring. Do you think you could help me?”

Tobho grinned. “I think I can help you there.” He sat down at a patio table and gestured for Gendry to do the same. “What did you have in mind?”

Gendry was ecstatic when he went to Tobho’s and got the finished ring. It had taken longer than it likely would have taken an actual jeweller, but there was no one else he trusted.

The ring was silver and the main feature was a wolf that was close enough to the one Arya had tattooed on her shoulder, but different at the same time. In the wolf’s visible eye, there was a small crystal that shimmered with every movement. 

It was perfect in every way.

“Thank you Tobho. It’s everything I wanted.” Gendry was close to tears at this point. He was about to spend the rest of his life with the love of his life. “How much do I-”

“Don’t bother paying me, son. Maybe you can take me out for dinner sometime as thanks and I can meet your girl.” He winked, and Gendry laughed.

As he drove home, a trickle of fear crept into his mind. 

_What if she says no?_

He’d heard of so many guys who proposed to their partners and were rejected. It was the end of their relationships almost every time. He didn’t want to lose Arya. He couldn’t. He didn’t know what he’d do.

But he got home, and she smiled so brightly at him and he couldn’t think of anything else.

“Gods it’s warm out,” Arya sighed. She was not the biggest fan of the summertime. She’d just taken her third cold shower since she got home, and he could tell she was about to lose it.

“Why don’t we go for a walk, down to the beach?” he asked. They were fortunate enough to find an apartment in such a good location. It wasn’t too far from their jobs and being so close to the beach was a godsend in the summer. It quickly became their new favourite spot.

“Alright,” she sighed. “Let me grab a few things. And you’re buying me ice cream on the way.”

“As m’lady commands.”

He dodged the couch cushion she threw at his face.

Arya sighed deeply as she finished the ice cream they’d got at one of the many parlors along the beach. All of them were good, and Gendry hadn’t picked a favourite, but Arya had declared one of them to be better than all the rest and rarely went anywhere else.

“Feeling better?” He nudged her shoulder as they walked down to the water.

“Much,” she breathed, leaning into him. They walked like that for a few paces before she dropped the thin napkin they gave to her with her dessert. She leaned down to pick it up and Gendry saw his chance. He turned away from her slightly to take the box out from his pocket (Arya always teased him about his “magic pocket that could hold everything''). He turned back to her, preparing to kneel to find her already on one knee in front of him, holding an identical box in her hands. She had the biggest, dopiest grin on her face and her eyes that reminded him of molten steel were clouded with tears.

“Is that what I think it is in your hand?” she asked, her voice thick.

He nodded, unable to form words, and opened the box to show her. The tears fell from her eyes and she launched herself into his arms. He held onto her tightly, tears of his own staining the sleeve of her thin dress. 

“I take it that’s a yes?” he teased as he set her down and taking a closer look at the ring he got for him. It was a bright gold colour with a small bull engraved into the side. He couldn’t have loved her more in this moment if he tried.

“Of course, stupid bull. Of course I’m saying yes.”

They put the rings on and met for a passionate kiss, the crashing waves echoing in the background.


End file.
